Llanidloes, Powys, Wales, United Kingdom

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Llanidloes is a town and community on the A470 and B4518 roads in Powys, within the historic county boundaries of Montgomeryshire (Welsh: Sir Drefaldwyn), Wales. 15% of the population speak Welsh. It is the third largest settlement in Montgomeryshire, after Newtown and Welshpool.

It is the first town on the River Severn (Afon Hafren), counting from the source.

The town is close to the large dam and reservoir Llyn Clywedog. There is a scenic mountain road connecting Machynlleth and Llanidloes.

Llanidloes is popular with hikers who walk on the scenic footpaths surrounding the town, including Glyndŵr's Way, which in conjunction with the Offa's Dyke path forms a 160-mile circuit around Mid Wales and local passage over the spine of the Cambrian Mountains.

The Sarn Sabrina Walk – a 25-mile circular walk from Llanidloes to the source of the Severn and back – has been held yearly on the Saturday preceding the Late Spring Bank Holiday since 2006. In 2007 the Semi Sabrina, a 12-mile circular walk, was added. The Hafren Forest is also used for car rallies such as Rally GB and motorcycle Enduro events throughout the year.

The village hall is the centre of Wales. It was then part of the cantref of Arwystli. In 1280 Llanidloes received a market charter from the King (granted to Owen de la Pole) and the benefit of Edwardian town planning and earthwork defences. The present-day street plan follows the 13th century grid layout. O'Neill traced earth bank defences from the confluence of the Severn with the Clywedog and along Brook Street on the north, beyond High Street on the east, and along Mount Street on the south; with the Severn forming the western boundary. He suggested that the medieval castle with its bailey lay immediately to the south in the area of Mount Street. However, the precise positioning of the Castle and earthen bank defences needs to be verified by archaeological evidence. The town prospered and was granted borough status in 1344. Revival after the Glyndŵr Rising was slow, but there were 59 taxpayers in 1545.

The following centuries saw the growth of weaving and flannel production. This was essentially a cottage industry, and the local products were sent to market in England at Shrewsbury. Towards the end of the 18th century, Llanidloes was the largest producer in Montgomeryshire, but after about 1810, with the introduction of factories, which brought all the processes under one roof, Newtown gradually overtook Llanidloes as the main centre. Some of the three-storey houses with brick façades of this period would have housed weaving lofts on the upper storey. Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of 1833 noted that there were forty carding engines, eighteen fulling mills and thirty-five thousand spindles . affording considerable employment in Llanidloes. But the new technology was far from profitable, and the factory system led to increasing unrest, which culminated in the Chartist riots in 1839. Newtown, connected to the Montgomeryshire Canal in 1819, soon became the centre of the flannel industry in Wales with the opening of its Flannel Exchange in 1832. Llanidloes followed suit in 1838 when former Public Rooms in Great Oak Street were built by a local consortium as a Flannel Exchange; but this only lasted a few years, although Llanidloes flannel was regarded as of the better quality. Some owners, particularly Thomas Jones, who owned the Cambrian and Spring Mills, struggled to promote the Llanidloes flannel industry.

Lead mining became the more profitable industry from 1865, when rich deposits were discovered at the Van mines. By 1876, the mines were among the most productive in the world, employing over 500. Important too was the town's iron foundry, established in 1851. This second phase of prosperity is well reflected in the townscape, most notably in the proliferation of fine chapels, built during the 1870s. Commercial success is reflected by the many fine shopfronts that survive from the later part of the 19th century but again decline set in: printing and tanning gained in importance, but the last of the mines closed in 1921. Little has changed since then, except the building of houses, including a Garden Suburb and a new school. The building of the by-pass in 1991, along the track of the former railway, has largely protected the town from the ravages of traffic. Llanidloes has attractive tree-lined main streets, originally planted in 1901, although many of the trees have been replaced. The vibrant community, pleasantly varied streetscape and attractive setting makes Llanidloes one of the nicest towns in Wales.

The Chartist uprising Llanidloes was notorious as a focus of industrial unrest during the Chartist revolt in 1839, a campaign for democratic rights prompted by the collapse of the local textile industry. During the unrest, three local people were arrested and held in the Trewythen hotel on Great Oak Street until the protesters forced their release. The town was controlled by the protesters until a detachment of South Shropshire Yeomanry arrived on 14 May 1839 and restored Government authority.

Culture The town became noted for an annual Llanidloes Fancy Dress street party it hosted, which was one of the largest street parties in Wales. The event started in 1969, taking place on the first Friday of July. In 2004 around 5,000 people took part in the festival. After concerns linked to costs and public safety the festival was cancelled in 2012.

Llanidloes has a reputation as a very "quirky" town, known for its liberal, counterculture atmosphere. Llanidloes is known as a popular home for ageing hippies.

In 2014, it was rated one of the most attractive postcode areas to live in Wales. It was named one of the best places to live in Wales in 2017.

The headquarters of The Quilt Association is at the Minerva Arts Centre; here they hold workshops and an annual exhibition of quilts.